Gardiner is a Main Street Maine Community!

August 1, 2018 – Augusta, Maine – Maine Development Foundation’s (MDF) Maine Downtown Center is pleased to announce the launch of an interactive web portal aimed at attracting visitors through one-stop shopping and compelling content. Main Street Maine features local makers, innovative events and natural assets in Maine’s downtowns on one connected, user-friendly website.

“People come to Maine to discover one-of-a-kind places, and Main Streets have them in a big way,” says Anne Ball, Program Director for MDF’s Maine Downtown Center. “We’ve learned from the Maine Office of Tourism that today’s visitors seek cultural, food and unique experiences. They want to know about world renowned museums in Rockland and Brunswick, the newest restaurants in Belfast and Augusta, great boutiques in Biddeford and Bath, cool breweries in Westbrook and Saco, and the best festivals in Skowhegan and Gardiner. This website provides one-stop shopping.”

The website is a collaboration among the state’s 10 Main Street Maine programs and the Maine Downtown Center, with guidance and matching funds from the Maine Office of Tourism. Maine’s Main Street programs are accredited by Main Street America, the leading voice for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the country.

For visitors who check off their “must-see-and-do” list, the Main Street Maine website gives viewers a glimpse of what’s available in each downtown. “The site is full of advice and blog posts that recommend great food, coffee and brews as well as key cultural events and amenities,” says the project coordinator, Delilah Poupore, who directs Biddeford’s Main Street program. “Once people get to their destination, they’ll look around and find a lot more to do, or even head to another one of the state’s Main Streets.” Visitors who stop at the state’s Visitor Information Centers can pick up a rack card that directs them to the website. In addition, the project will include marketing to the Boston area, to encourage travel from that region.

Abbe Levin is a cultural tourism consultant who serves on the Maine Downtown Center Advisory Council. She thinks the site will have potential to expand shoulder-season visitation. “These Main Streets have incredible cultural offerings along with great restaurants and local shopping. Each has their own unique sense of place – and they’re open year round. I also think the site has potential to encourage travel to multiple Main Streets and give visitors a reason to extend their stay.”

About Maine Downtown Center

The Maine Downtown Center is a program of the Maine Development Foundation and serves as the state coordinator for the National Main Street Center using the 35 year old Main Street Four Point Approach to implement the program in 25 Maine communities. The program’s mission is to advance preservation-based economic development in downtowns across Maine, resulting in business growth, job creation, building rehabilitation, cultural enhancement and organizational leadership.  

About Maine Development Foundation 

Created in statute in 1978, the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) is a private, non-partisan membership organization that provides leadership development, trusted research, and creative partnerships to enable Maine business, community and policy leaders to drive Maine’s long-term economic growth. To learn more about MDF, visit www.mdf.org.